December went by in a flash (and dozens and dozens of cookies...), and though I already listed some of my favorite books of the year, I still wanted to do my usual post about last month's reading.( Especially since I read a ton in December and actually hit my reading goal for the year!) Some books were favorite holiday rereads but others were new to me. So, here are some books I enjoyed in December.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older (SF/Mystery with F/F romance): After making Earth unlivable, humanity has moved to a colony composed of platforms surrounding Jupiter. Mossa is a (Holmes-esque) investigator called out when a man disappears from a remote platform. She follows the clues to the university where she recruits her college ex-girlfriend (now a scientist/scholar there) to help her find out what happened. This is an absolutely delightful book. The setting is well-imagined and drawn, and feels very Gaslamp fantasy/mystery blended with science fiction. Mossa and Pleiti make a wonderful Holmes/Watson pair, and their second chance romance is beautifully developed. The mystery was satisfying, and the topics underlying the book provided lots to think about too. Looking forward to the second in the series.
Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett (Mystery): In this third book of the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series, Queen Elizabeth is looking forward to Christmas with family at Sandringham, but a severed hand found washed up on the beach disrupts plans. The Queen recognizes that the hand belongs to an old family friend based on a distinctive ring, and when the press drags her name into the matter, she decides that she can't leave the investigation to the police. I find these books to be such fun. The author presents us with a queen who has been solving mysteries under the radar for most of her life in a way that is utterly believable and also imagines the dynamics of the royal family in such a convincing way. Rozie, the Queen's assistant private secretary and assistant in sleuthing, is a wonderful character. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator does a brilliant job.
Hide and Seek by Josh Lanyon (Mystery with M/M romance): After ending an abusive relationship, Andy runs to the small village in Maine where his uncle lives, hoping to stay with him and help with his antique shop for a few weeks while he figures out what comes next. But when he arrives, he finds his uncle critically injured and in the hospital after a break in and a message from his ex on the shop answering machine. Even worse, whoever broke in hasn't given up on finding what they were looking for. On the other hand, Andy's teenage crush Quinn is back in town, interested in being with Andy, and willing (and able) to help him with those other issues. This is very much a classic Josh Lanyon mystery. (And another mystery set around Christmas, which apparently I was into this past month, considering I read this and Murder Most Royal, and reread Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian.)
A Garter as a Lesser Gift by Aster Glenn Grey (MMF historical fantasy romance): This is an absolutely lovely retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, set in Britain during World War II with Arthur and his knights as an RAF squadron. It is utterly delightful and beautifully, vividly written. Gawain is charming, and the setting of the woods and the tower and chapel are suitably magical. I wish it had been longer, but only because I loved it that much and wanted more of Gawain and the lord and lady of the tower and really all the characters (and I would not turn down the story of Arthur, Gwen, and Lancelot because I could feel the emotion and pining there in only a few lines). This was the retelling I did not know I needed.
The Christmas Sprites series by Macy Blake (M/M paranormal romance): This series of four novellas follows four cousins who are Christmas sprites living in Mistletoe Falls, a Christmas themed town, as they find their fated mates. Lots of hijinks and misbehaving magic and Christmas puns wind their way through all four books. They're generally light, funny quick reads.
The First Snow of Winter by Joanna Chambers (M/M historical romance): Sam has returned from war on the Continent missing an arm and unsure of what he's going to do with his life now, but he knows he doesn't want to spend Christmas with his family and their close friends, the Huxleys. Especially Jasper Huxley, whom Sam almost kissed before he left for war five years ago. Despite Sam's hopes of avoiding the festivities, he and Jasper find themselves snowed in alone together. This lovely little novella is part of the Winterbourne series (I reread Mr. Winterbourne's Christmas and realized I hadn't continued the series for some reason, so I picked this up), though it can be read on its own. It's short and reads as the beginning of a relationship more than anything, and I hope we see more of these characters in the fourth book in the series, which is waiting for me on my Kindle.
An Offering of Plums by J Emery (M/NB fantasy romance): When Tristan's boyfriend invites him to the Guardian Hill for a picnic one night, he does not expect his boyfriend to try to sacrifice him to summon the demon that makes the hill their home. But the demon doesn't want a frightened, unwilling sacrifice and frees Tristan instead. After, looking for healing and comfort, Tristan finds himself returning over and over to the hill where he brings offerings of fruit and talks with the demon, finds himself developing a relationship with the demon too. This short story has a fairy tale vibe to its writing, which is gorgeous, and though it is short, the story is wonderful.
The Christmas Chevalier by Meg Mardell (F/Trans M historical romance): Alvy has bought himself a rundown flat far from his family's grand London townhouse and is thrilled with it because no one who knows him by his birth name will ever go there. Then his old friend Laura, a governess who just lost her job, comes to London in need of somewhere to spend the holidays. Faced with Laura, Alvy does reckless things, like offering her a job at a press he didn't plan on running and inviting her to a masquerade ball where he dresses up as a chevalier and dances with her—leading to a bit of mistaken identity and romance. The novella has a lovely writing style and is a fun, fast read.
What did you read and love in December?
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